Love Hina Like It Could Have Been
by Karl Stahl
Summary: What if Keitaro and the girls had a pinch more common sense and the real world intruded into the secluded world of the Hinata Girls-Only Dormitory?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Love Hina was created by Ken Akamatsu. It was first published by Kodansha. I neither have created nor own Love Hina. This is fanfiction written for fun and personal entertainment, not for financial gain. I have received no money for writing this.

Author's note: What if Keitaro and the girls had a pinch more common sense and the real world intruded into the secluded world of the Hinata Girls-Only Dormitory?

This story is AU and characters will be at least slightly OOC. As indicated by the disclaimer this story is based on the manga.

(story start)

Keitaro arrived at the foot of the stairs to the Hinata Inn. His grandmother Hina had written and asked for an urgent meeting at her place. He had taken the first train early in the morning and now he was here. The young ronin looked up the long stairs.

_I should talk to Haruka, before I make the trek,_ he thought, _it's been years ago I've been here for the last time. She might even have a guess what Granny wants from me today._

He entered the teahouse and looked around. Two customers were sitting at different tables, otherwise nobody else was in sight. Keitaro muttered a greeting and walked over to the bar, where he took a seat. He would wait until his aunt appeared, which shouldn't take long since there were customers present.

Only a few minutes later his aunt entered the teashop carrying a few supplies she probably had fetched from the storeroom. Keitaro watched her bustle behind the bar and stow away the supplies for a while. Then he cleared his throat and addressed her in a playfully deep voice: "Hey there, beautiful,"

Haruka whirled around to face him, a can of tea tightly held in her fist like a weapon. Her frown disappeared when she spotted Keitaro. Gently she placed the slightly dented can on the bar.

"Keitaro, what surprise! You haven't shown your face around here way to long. What brings you to our end of the woods?"

"Au-," Keitaro stopped and began anew. "Other things then you might expect, Haruka. Granny sent me a letter and asked me to come to the Hinata Inn for an urgent meeting. I thought I'd say hello to you and ask if you have any idea what she's up to?"

Haruka paled. "She told you to come directly to the inn?"

Keitaro nodded.

"She wrote ‚Hinata Inn' in her letter?"

"Yes, she did."

"It's a good thing you came to see me first. It's not an Inn anymore. It's an all-girl dormitory now and has been for years. The girls like it that way and they're likely to react violently towards an unwelcome male intruder."

Haruka shook her head. "What was Granny thinking when she didn't warn you about that?"

"Probably that I'd make a good first impression on my own. It's too bad: I have been looking forward to a soak in the hot springs."

Haruka stroked her chin. "Now, that may still be possible. Let me call the girls together for a meeting. Then I will only have to explain things once."

"Okay," Keitaro agreed. His eyes widened. "Wait a minute! You will explain? Where is Granny?"

His aunt/cousin met his gaze straight on. "She went on a trip to visit the hot springs of the world today and took Kanako with her. She left you a letter though."

Keitaro held out his hand. "Let me see it."

"I'd rather wait until you've met the girls, before I give it to you."

"Haruka, don't play games. Granny invites me here on urgent business and hasn't even the courtesy to meet me in person. Give me the letter and tell me what she wants or watch my back while I leave."

"No, please don't leave." Haruka pulled a sealed envelope out of her apron and handed it to him.

"Thanks," Keitaro took it, pulled a pocket knife out and sliced the envelope open. He pulled out the letter and read it slowly. His face darkened and he re-read the letter. He handed it to Haruka with a grim look on his face.

"Read it yourself," he told her.

Haruka read the letter twice, before she handed it back to him.

"Is that what she really wants?" Keitaro asked. "I should take over the position she vacated and act as landlord of the Hinata all-girl dormitory in her stead?"

"That seem to be her intentions, yes."

"No way. She's just looking for a cheap janitor and handy-man to do her job, while she's away traveling the world."

"I don't know that for sure," Haruka stated, "but aren't you looking for a place to live after that big fall-out with your parents?"

"I was for a short while, but then I had to admit that I behaved foolishly and selfishly. I apologized to my parents and we were able to reach a compromise. So I don't have to jump into this pit that Granny has dug out for me."

Haruka frowned. "You're not even willing to give it a try?"

"Not really. Granny lied to me and tried to trick and force me to take up that job. I would have had to take it, if I hadn't made my peace with my family. So I tend to hand this letter back to you and leave."

"You're here, so please at least meet the girls once. You may be allowed to soak in the hot springs after all."

Keitaro frowned again. He saw how much Haruka wanted him to meet the girls.

"Okay, Haruka. For you, I'm willing to give it one try and meet the girls. A soak would be really nice, but I can live without one. When this goes south, I'm leaving at once."

"Thanks for being so understanding. Let me set you up with a nice cup of tea while I inform the girls that there will be a meeting shortly."

(scene break)

Half an hour later Haruka and Keitaro had walked up the long stairs and reached the Hinata building. Haruka knocked and went in first. Keitaro followed, not sure, why he really was here.

Haruka introduced him as Granny Hina's grandson then she introduced the girls in turn:

Naru Narusegawa – a beautiful redhead with a fiery temper who glared with open hatred at him

Motoko Aoyama – a true Japanese beauty in traditional clothes carrying a sheathed katana who looked at him like he was a disgusting, slimy toad

Mitsune "Kitsune" Konno – another well-endowed beauty who barely opened her eyes and faintly smelled of booze. Her gaze might have had something calculating in it. _A possible gold-digger,_ Keitaro thought.

Kaolla Su – a short, dark-skinned, silver-haired foreigner, curious, playful and hungry-looking

Shinobu Maehara – a blue-haired, slim, younger girl, naturally shy and frightened by the presence of an unknown male.

"Now," Haruka said, "Keitaro, my nephew and Hina's grandson, is here, because Granny asked him to come. She wants him to take her position as landlord and manager."

She couldn't get one more word out, because Naru exploded.

"A male pervert as manager in an all-girl dormitory? Absolutely not!"

"I agree," Motoko added. "There is no place in our midst for a vile male."

"That's it," Keitaro stood up. "I'm leaving."

"Wait!" Haruka tried to stop him. "You know that there has to be an Urashima heir on the grounds to keep possession of the grounds and building."

"So what?" Keitaro asked. "You are here and inheritance-wise you're closer to Granny than I am."

"Wait, please. Why don't you take a soak in the hot springs while the girls and I talk things over."

"No way will we allow a male into our hot springs!" Naru and Motoko protested.

"See?" Keitaro commented with a gesture towards the irate females. "They don't want me here. I don't want to stay here. Thanks for trying, Haruka, good luck teaching these girls a few shreds about the real world."

He stopped at the door and looked back. "These grounds have been the property of the Urashima clan for many generations. The hot springs belong to the clan; you're just allowed to use them. Farewell."

The door closed gently behind him.

"Great," Haruka said, "you chased him off. Aren't you proud of yourself?"

Naru smiled widely and Motoko announced: "We have no need for a male here."

"Granny is gone, so you will divide her chores between you." Haruka told them. "You at least have a sense of duty, Motoko, so you will come up with a schedule for that until tomorrow. Every one of you will have to work-"

"But I have to study!" Naru protested.

"This will cut into my time for training," Motoko added.

"You didn't want Keitaro here, so you will do have to do the work Granny wanted him to do. Like I said, before I was rudely interrupted, either all of you will work or I will have to raise your rent to pay workers to do it. Most of them will be male, of course."

Haruka looked at the girls who stared at her like she'd grown a second head.

"One more thing: Granny showed me the books yesterday. Kitsune, step outside with me for a moment. Motoko, I expect your schedule tomorrow at dinner at the latest."

Haruka walked out and Kitsune followed her.

"What's up, Haruka?" the girl asked after closing the door behind her.

"You haven't paid rent for the last two months yet." Haruka said. "Granny was very lenient with you. I'm not. You have until the end of next month to pay up, including the rent for this and the next month."

"I'm between jobs right now, Haruka. Cut me a little slack, please."

"This is me cutting you more than a little slack, Mitsune. A responsible landlord would hand an eviction note to you at the end of this month."

Haruka put a hand under Mitsune's chin and forced her to look straight into her eyes.

"You do have some talent as a writer, Mitsune. You're just too lazy and too drunk to work on it. So cut down on the booze and the betting, do your chores around the dormitory and work on your writing. You have to clean up your act, if you want to stay."

"Ah, Haruka, you're so strict. I didn't know you had a Domina in you." Mitsune teased with a wink.

"I'm serious, Mitsune. Clear your debts until the end of next month or look for another place to stay. Even then you'll have to pay your debts."

"Aww, Haruka, what has twisted your panties so much?"

"Naru's and Motoko's rude behavior towards my nephew. The rest of you just sat there and couldn't be bothered to disagree, stop them, or even apologize. I'm disappointed in all of you."

"Why don't I talk to the others and get them to agree to take your nephew back? They might see him in a more positive light, when he does the work they don't want to do."

"You mean, the work you don't want to do. Too bad you blew your chance. Keitaro is already gone and has no reason to come back. You will do the work, all of you, if you want to stay here."

"Don't you think you're reacting too harshly?"

"No, I don't. Keitaro was right about one thing: You all have to learn how the real world works. Think about that when you do the work he could have done."

Haruka looked at her watch. "I've been gone from the teahouse long enough. Tell the others what I told you. Remember, you have until the end of next month to pay everything back."

(scene break)

The girls weren't happy with the new situation and discussed the upcoming schedule with Motoko heatedly in the evening after dinner. Only Naru and Motoko said that a little more work was a fair price to pay for continuing their lives without a male presence.

Motoko was in for a shock when she showed her schedule to Haruka in the afternoon. Haruka told her that they had not only to clean their rooms, the kitchen, and the hot springs, but the whole inn, the gardens, and the stairs, two.

"You're five girls and putting two hours of work in each day shouldn't be too hard," Haruka told Motoko.

"Each day? I thought we'd have at least the weekends free!" Motoko protested.

"Then schedule two and a half hours each day," Haruka suggested, "if you want a free weekend that badly. You have to consider, when you begin a task you have to finish it."

"But the whole inn! That's more than we thought!"

"The empty rooms still need to be cleaned and dusted, and all the floors waxed. You haven't to do an in-depth cleaning like in your rooms, but the inn as a whole has to be clean. You have to check on the windows, the doors, the roof, and other things to find out what needs repaired as early as possible. Hopefully you can do most of the repairs yourselves otherwise I will have to call a carpenter or the likes who then has to be paid."

Seeing the look of horror in Motoko's eyes, Haruka decided to let her have a glimmer of hope.

"Most repairs should be covered by your rent, but if Naru throws one of her infamous tantrums, the money has to come out of your pockets."

"Why won't Naru have to pay for the whole damage?"

"Oh, she will have to pay the lion's share. But you and the other will have to pay too, if you don't stop her from causing damage to the dormitory. Now rework your schedule and show it to me when I've closed the teahouse for today."

"But, I won't be able to do anything else until then!"

"How is that my problem, Motoko? You should have planned your schedule better. Now stop wasting my time and get to work."

(scene break)

One month later the girls weren't really happier. Motoko had dark rings under her eyes from lack of sleep, trying to manage her sword training, school, taking care of the inn, and herding the others to do their chores, and failing badly. There was never enough time to take care of everything that needed to be done. Su's attention tended to wander after a few minutes of work and soon after Su wandered off to do something more fun. Naru regularly got caught up in her studies and forgot to do her chores. Studying was more important to her anyway, and her chores could wait. Their friendship suffered under Naru's egoism and her refusal to participate like the others. Motoko's only reliable co-workers were Shinobu and – to her surprise - Kitsune. The older girl did her chores always on time and spent more time in her room typing on her old computer than in front of the TV betting on horses.

The schedule was pinned to one wall in the dining room, so every girl could see at breakfast what her tasks for the day were.

It was Tuesday when the inevitable happened: Haruka did an unannounced inspection. She found Shinobu cleaning the kitchen and Motoko and Mitsune cleaning the hot springs. Su was scheduled to sweep the stairs, but nowhere to be found. Naru was in her room studying, instead of cleaning the rooms on the second floor. Haruka inspected the schedule and found all of Motoko's, Shinobu's, and Mitsune's tasks crossed out, while most of the tasks of Su and Naru from this and last week were still open, and some of them crossed out with Motoko's slash. Haruka grit her teeth to not yell out in anger.

She walked into the hot springs. "Motoko, house meeting in ten minutes. I expect all the girls to be there."

Her angry voice sent an icy shower down both girls' backs.

"Yes, Haruka, I'll see to it at once. Kitsune, please look for Su and tell her."

(scene break)

Ten minutes later all the girls were assembled in the dining room. Motoko, Kitsune, and Shinobu looked wary. Su looked hungry and Naru with her glasses on had her nose in a book.

"How nice that all of you could make it," Haruka greeted them. "I came to look how you're doing on your own." She took a deep breath then she pointed at the schedule behind her. "This is a disgrace," she stated. "Motoko, Shinobu, and Mitsune have done their work. Even more than that, Motoko seems to have done some of your tasks too, Su and Naru. Naru, Su, you don't seem to take this serious. I'm warning you. This is your First Warning. One week from now I expect all your tasks until then to be done, with no help from Motoko or the others."

"I have to study!" Naru protested. "Good test results at cram school are more important than cleaning empty rooms."

"Are you talking back to me, girl?" Haruka asked dangerously quiet. "Second Warning. If cram school is more important then you're free to live there."

Haruka drew a long, calming breath. "Let me be very clear: After a Third Warning you will receive your eviction notice. I will inform your parents today that you're shirking your duties as tenants and will likely be evicted because of that."

Motoko quickly covered Naru's mouth with her hands and bowed. "They heard you, Haruka-sama. They will behave better from now on."

"I sincerely hope so, Motoko. You would have to divide the chores by three otherwise."

Haruka looked down at Naru. "Naru, you were the first and loudest to protest against my nephew staying here like Granny wished. It was your choice. Now stop behaving like a child and live with the consequences. There will be another inspection a week from now. You better don't disappoint me again."

(scene break)

Motoko only removed her hand from Naru's mouth when Haruka was long gone.

"Get a grip on your temper, Naru. I have never seen Haruka this angry before."

"Don't act so timid. I'm right and she's wrong."

"Wrong," Mitsune said. "She's a grown-up and she's in charge. One week from now she'll check on your chores. You'll receive the Third Warning, because you shirked them again. Then you'll talk back to her again and she'll evict you on the spot. The next morning your parents will come to take you and your possessions back home. You will never be allowed to set a foot into the Hinata again."

"She's right, you know," Shinobu dared to add.

Naru glared at her, until Motoko spoke up.

"Stop glaring at Shinobu and frightening her." Motoko pointed at the schedule. "There's a lot to do today, so get to it. Su, same goes for you. If you want to stay, work. Or call your family and return to Molmol. I tired of reminding you of your chores and doing the most important ones because they needed doing."

She stood up to return to the hot springs. "Naru, Kitsune is right. Haruka will throw you out without a second thought when you give her the slightest reason to do so. Remember that when you think about studying instead of doing your chores."

(scene break)

Later that evening Motoko checked on Naru's work. She sighed and walked into Naru's room.

"Naru, the rooms on your list today are sloppily cleaned. Do it again."

"But it's late!" Naru whined.

"Then you should have done it right the first time. Do it again or suffer the consequences."

"Consequences?" Naru looked clueless.

"Haruka will have one more reason to evict you. Don't give her that."

"I will have to work for days to get it all done," Naru whined again.

"That's why you should have done the chores when they were scheduled. That way you'd have at least some of the day to study."

"But-"

"Enough! You are smart, Naru. Stop whining and act like the Todai student you want to be. Good night."

(scene break)

Naru was more tired than she had ever been in her life. After a week of bone-breaking labor, she and Su had survived Haruka's thorough inspection without further Warnings. Haruka hadn't praised them, but at least she hadn't scolded them further. "Acceptable," had been her only comment. The teashop owner had left telling them that the next inspection wouldn't be announced.

_Why were the people on the train staring at her? They saw her every morning on the way to cram school. Was something different today?_ Naru dozed off and forgot about the question.

At cram school it was the same thing. People stared at her like they'd never seen her before. Naru ignored that and went to the board with the latest test results. Usually she found her name at the top of the list. This time she had had no time to study and should be happy if she had passed. She found her name close to the middle of the list, but a score of 61 was nothing to be proud of. She hoped to do better the next time.

This had been a test that all classes had to take together. There were classes like hers, where attention was six days a week, classes where attention was only every other day, and classes with only one day of attention weekly.

To her surprise she found the name Urashima, Keitaro within the top twenty. He was in a different class, attending only every other day. His class was in session today.

Shrill whistling behind her made her turn around. One of her classmates was staring at her.

"Narusegawa, is that you?" he asked. "What happened to your bottle glasses, your thick, ugly pullovers and your ponytails?"

Naru had to fight not to gasp in shock. She had been so tired in the morning, she had completely forgotten to done her usual disguise.

"Yes, it's me, Taizou. I was in a hurry this morning." She shrugged.

The boy smiled. "You should be in a hurry more often, Narusegawa. You have no reason to hide your looks."

"I disagree. I have neither time nor patience to deal with per-, no, hormone-driven boys who keep me from studying. Say, how did you do on the test?"

"Not too bad. I made the top ten. What happened to you? I couldn't find your name."

"I had to deal with some things at home. It kept me from studying as much as I wanted."

"That happened to me before. I can relate."

"I just remembered, you've been in the other class before. Do you know Keitaro Urashima?"

"I was able to switch classes a few month ago when my parents moved here. Before I had to travel every other day to get here. Urashima still does that. Yes, I know him."

"What kind of guy is he?"

"Are you sure you're okay? First you appear here looking totally different and now you're interested in guys?"

"No, you pervert, it's not what you think. He's our landlady's nephew and I'm just curious."

The boy shrugged. "He's a decent guy, I guess. Quiet, concentrates on studying, and doesn't stand out." Taizou smiled shortly. "Like most of us."

"He wants to go to Todai?"

"Yes, but he's a ronin. He told us once he'll try other universities' exams too this year."

"Do you have an idea why?"

"I guess his parents set a deadline and will stop supporting him if he doesn't get into a university this year."

"Thank you, Taizou."

"You're welcome, Narusegawa."

The bell rang and they had to get to class.

(scene break)

The day Mitsune had dreaded finally came. Haruka had called her to the tea shop before opening.

After greeting each other Haruka came straight to the point.

"It's the end of the second month, Mitsune. Pay up."

Mitsune pulled an envelope out of her back pocket. "Here's the rent for this month and most of the back rent I'm owing."

Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Most of it? How much is missing?"

"Slightly less then a quarter. I had a bit more, but I had a bit of bad luck with the horses."

"You're still betting?"

"I've cut back on betting and on drinking, but I haven't quit. I have to have a little fun."

"Hm," Haruka thought for a moment. "I have to say, I'm impressed, Mitsune. You have paid nearly all the rent for four months back in only two months, you have done all your chores and you have done them well. You even cut back on your drinking and betting."

"Thanks for the praise, Haruka, but I have failed to pay all of it back. I'm sorry. You told me what to expect."

"Yes, I did. You've earned some slack though now. I offer you a deal: No betting for a month and you'll pay back the rest of your debts until the end of next month and pay the rent for that month on time. Of course I expect you to continue doing your chores as well as before. In exchange I will allow you to stay, you won't receive your First Warning, and you might work on paying your rent at the beginning of the month like the others do after that."

"Then we have a deal, Haruka. Thank you very much for allowing me to stay."

Haruka surprised Mitsune by giving her a short, heartfelt hug.

"You deserve to stay, Mitsune. You've earned it."

"Thank you," Mitsune mumbled keeping her face hidden against Haruka's neck.

Fox girls did not cry in gratitude.

Of course she wasn't fooling Haruka for a second. Hiding her face like she did, Mitsune didn't see the adult's fond smile.

(scene break)

Motoko had a bad morning. Not only was it raining while she was training, in addition she had slipped and stumbled, and then the floor board under her foot had cracked. While she was lucky to get away without a sprained ankle, she wasn't looking forward to telling Haruka about her latest accident. The teashop owner still hadn't forgiven Su for the stairs destroyed by a mecha-tama launched rocket. Su had received her Second Warning and was now absolutely forbidden to construct weapons at all. At least Su's genius had given them working floor-cleaning and waxing robots, though looking like turtles they scared Motoko more often than she cared to admit.

Motoko called Haruka and told her that a board on the the deck she used for training had cracked and that more boards might have to be exchanged.

Haruka checked on the damage the next morning and sighed. "We need a professional to look at that. I have to call Keitaro."

"Keitaro is a professional?" Motoko asked surprised.

"He's working construction on weekends. He can either repair the damage or knows who will do it for a fair prize."

"Why on weekends, if I may ask?"

"He travels to cram school three days a week. He helps in his parents bakery from early in the morning until noon on the other days and spends the rest of those days studying. He works construction on weekends, because the pay's higher then."

Haruka scratched her chin. "Tomorrow's Wednesday. He has cram school and should be able to inspect the deck after school. I will call him in the afternoon. Motoko, I have to run the teashop tomorrow afternoon. Please see to it that he can assess the damage here without being harassed or attacked by the other girls. They will have to stand his presence for an hour or two."

"I will watch over him, Haruka-sama."

"Thank you, Motoko. I'll be grateful when you do that."

(scene break)

Keitaro was in a sour mood. If his aunt hadn't talked to his parents first and nearly begged for his visit, he'd probably have denied her request. But she was family and she promised he'd get paid. The other thing on this mind was the last test. He had been sure to make the top ten this time, but he had failed by one place. Narusegawa Naru was the last name in the top ten. He faintly remembered the name, but couldn't place it. Most people on the train to Hinata where adults returning from work. There were a few kids and a girl with bottle glasses in an ugly sweater hunched over a history book. He had seen her a few times at cram school, but that was about it. He had no time for girls anyway. This year he had to get into an university at any cost. He had to do better on tests, if he wanted to succeed in going to Todai.

He was so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't notice the girl getting off at the same station and following him. He went to the teahouse while the girl went up the stairs. The place was packed with the evening crowd and Haruka had only time to tell him that she would call ahead and Motoko would wait for him at the top of the stairs.

After the long and exhausting climb he found Motoko indeed waiting for him at the top of the stairs.

"Hello," he said in greeting, "my aunt asked me to inspect the damage on the sundeck."

"Hello," Motoko swallowed, "Urashima-san. We are grateful that you agreed to inspect the damage. Please allow me to show you the way."

Keitaro stopped. He hadn't expected such a polite reception.

"Thank you." He blushed and scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember your name. Would you please tell me again?"

"I'm Motoko Aoyama."

Keitaro bowed. He could do polite. "Thank you, Aoyama-san. Please lead the way."

Motoko gave a nod in agreement and turned towards the Hinata. She walked through the hall and up the first stairs, the second stairs. Then she turned down the corridor.

"Wait, please," Keitaro said, "aren't the stairs the other way?"

"Those stairs have been damaged. We have to take the other stairs at the end of the corridor."

"I'm here. Let's have a quick look. The light's better now."

"As you wish." Motoko turned and led the way again.

She stopped after a few steps. Keitaro stepped up to her and stared.

The stairs looked like a giant hammer had smashed them to pieces. The middle of the stairs was missing completely, the stairs at the bottom looked burned, and the remains of the top stairs were burned.

"These stairs have to be replaced completely," Keitaro told the raven-haired girl. "Now they are nothing more than a hazard. The replacement has to be done as soon as possible."

"We'll have to put it on the list. Let's look at the sun deck now, please." Motoko asked.

It didn't take Keitaro long to assess the damage.

"I'm sorry, but more than a third of the boards have to be replaced. It would be easier to remove them all and lay down a new deck instead of only replacing the most damaged boards."

"I'm sure, it would be more expensive, too. We're on a budget, so only doing the most dire repairs will have to do. Of course, it's Haruka-sama's decision."

"Since when do you call my aunt 'Haruka-sama'? I thought your relationship was more easy-going."

"A lot of things have changed since Granny Hina left. You'd better talk to your aunt about that."

"Maybe I'll do that." Keitaro looked up from his notepad. "I see you've taken good care of this place. The boards are clean and well waxed."

"I'm training here every morning. Of course I make sure it's in good shape."

"That was a compliment, not an insult."

Motoko held back her first reply and said instead. "Thank you, Urashima-san. Shinobu should have a cup of tea waiting for us by now. Please follow me to the dining room."

Keitaro was surprised to find two other girls in the dining room setting the table. Motoko went to the kitchen after she had asked Keitaro to wait for a moment.

Shortly after she returned together with Shinobu who carried a tray with a steaming teapot, cups, sugar, milk, and lemon. Shinobu blushed when she saw the young man standing there. Motoko steadied the tray and told them to sit down. Then Shinobu put the things from the tray on the table and a cup in front of each of them. Motoko poured the tea, starting with Keitaro and then anti-clock-wise for Kitsune, Su, Shinobu and herself. They waited for Keitaro to taste his tea. He complimented Shinobu on the well-brewed tea, which caused her to blush even more. Then all of them drank from their cups and added sugar, lemon, or milk to their liking.

While the atmosphere was tense, it was somehow peaceful. That shattered when Naru came down the stairs in a clinging dress, her hair open, and without her glasses. She took one look at Keitaro and asked: "What are you still doing here?"

Keitaro, who had enjoyed his tea and the quiet company until then, placed his cup down and lost his smile.

"I'm drinking a cup of tea," he stated.

"Why? Shouldn't you assess the damage to the deck only? Is there a reason for your loitering?"

"I wasn't aware I was loitering. If my presence is that awful to you, I will leave at once." He stood up.

"No," Shinobu protested in a small voice, which nobody but Keitaro heard.

"This won't do at all!" Motoko shot to her feet and turned on Naru. "Naru, remember what we talked about. We all decided we would be polite. I invited him to a cup of tea after he assessed the damage to the deck and to the stairs. Now apologize at once!"

"Seconded," Mitsune added.

"Me too," Shinobu whispered.

"Naru, you aren't polite," Su told her, "you're mean."

Naru looked shocked. Then she had a vision of Haruka giving her the Third Warning and she paled. She had to reach for the railing. She took a slow breath.

"My friends are right, Urashima-san," she said with a firm voice. "My behavior was rude and uncalled for. I came down for dinner and your presence surprised me, but that's no excuse for rudeness. I'm sorry for reacting so aggressively. Please, forgive me."

Keitaro looked at her thinking her words over. Her friends had nearly forced her, but he felt that her apology was serious.

"You're forgiven," he said. "I'm sorry for surprising you, too."

"It's my fault. I knew you would be here and that Shinobu wanted you to taste her best tea."

"Naru!" a beet-red Shinobu squeaked. This time everybody heard her.

"Please sit down, Urashima-san, and enjoy your tea. I will return to my room."

"That's not necessary," Keitaro said.

"Don't be a spoilsport," Kitsune said, "Shinobu wants you to taste her best tea, too. Come sit down and enjoy a cup."

"Only if it's really okay with all of you."

"Come and sit down, Naru," Motoko told her. She turned to Keitaro. "Please sit down too, Urashima-san. I apologize for my friend's behavior."

Keitaro sat down. "You're not at fault, Aoyama-san. Your friend apologized and I accepted. Now let's forget about that and enjoy our tea before it gets cold."

He smiled and bowed slightly towards her. Motoko returned a deeper bow and sat down.

They drank their tea in silence, but the atmosphere remained tense. Suddenly Mitsune jerked and stared in wounded surprise at Shinobu. Slowly understanding and a smile spread over her face.

"Urashima-san, would you like to stay for dinner? I have the impression our resident cook would like to show off."

"I don't want to intrude," Keitaro said and looked at his watch, "but Haruka still has to deal with the evening crowd. I will only stay, if all of you agree to it."

"Please stay," Naru said first to everybody's surprise. "Shinobu is a great cook and it would be a shame if you missed an opportunity to taste her cooking."

The other girls voiced their agreement and so Keitaro stayed for dinner.

(scene break)

"That wasn't so bad," Mitsune commented while doing the dishes together with Shinobu and Motoko, after Keitaro had left.

"Yes, once Naru calmed down and decided to behave politely, it felt less than a battlefield," Motoko agreed.

"He knew so much about cakes and baking," Shinobu added blushing anew. "I have to try out his tips to improve my chocolate cake."

"His parents own a bakery. It's not surprising he knows a thing or two about cakes." Mitsune said with a smile and put the plates she had tried in the cupboard.

"I was astounded when he talked with Naru about studying for exams." Motoko said. "Naru has her eyes set on Todai only, but Urashima's goal is to get in one of the best universities this time. They both agreed that the exams are harsh and only the best will pass."

"Naru agreed with a male," Kitsune grinned. "We've been witnesses to a miracle. By the way, Motoko, my compliments on how you defused the situation with Naru. That scene could have turned ugly fast."

"Thank you, Kitsune. I remembered what Haruka told us after our first meeting with Urashima. She'd be very angry, if her nephew were attacked by one of the tenants."

"Angry? She'd be livid and we all would be looking for a new place to stay an hour later. She might be unhappy, that he didn't become the Hinata's manager, but he's still family." Kitsune replied.

"Haruka can be very scary." Shinobu agreed.

"We have a more pressing problem," Motoko said, after she had put the last cup away. "The stairs and the deck have to be repaired. There will be male workers here in the next days. We must find a polite and responsible way to deal with them. I'm not looking forward to males being here, but we can't do the repairs ourselves."

"Hm, sweaty, muscular men to look at," Kitsune mused with a wink, "that doesn't sound so bad."

"Kitsune!" Motoko scolded her embarrassed and slapped the back of the fox girl's head lightly. "Down girl. You're setting a bad example for Shinobu."

"Down girl?" Kitsune looked at Motoko with eyes wide open while making a show of rubbing the back of her head. "Has our sword-maiden discovered her sense of humor?"

Motoko smiled. "Hush you," she told the grinning Kitsune, whose eyes had closed to slits again.

Shinobu observed the friendly banter while she kept her jaw from hitting the floor. _Motoko joking? What a strange and unsuspected discovery!_

(scene break)

Haruka wanted a cigarette. It had been a bad idea to call Hina from the teashop, where she didn't smoke.

"I told you twice already," she repeated herself, "Keitaro refused to become the Hinata's manager. He has apologized to his parents and is still living with them. The girls have to manage the Hinata themselves now. They are doing it quite well, even though Naru and Su shirked their chores in the beginning."

Haruka listened to the reply.

"You don't like how I handled things? Then you shouldn't have left without a warning! If you want things handled differently, you're free to return and resume your duties as the Hinata's manager-"

Haruka listened again.

"I don't care that you had the best intentions. Now, will you transfer the money for the repairs or do I have to raise the rent?"

"I have to run the teashop and do your job on the side. You can't expect gratitude for that. That would change, if you had the decency to pay me!"

"Yes, the repairs are necessary. It would be better to replace the sundeck, but that's too expensive at the moment."

"Thanks for the money. Enjoy your stay in the hot springs in Africa. Bye, ma."

Haruka went outside to smoke a much-needed cigarette or two.


	2. Chapter 2

Short disclaimer: Not mine. No money made. Full disclaimer in chapter 1.

Author's note: Thank you very much for reading, for all the Story Alerts, Favorite Story listings, Author Alerts, and especially the reviews. I'm happy about all these unexpected, positive reactions. Here's the second chapter.

(chapter start)

Motoko dreamed.

She was walking home from school passing a park on her way. There a man was playing with his dog, teaching her tricks and to retrieve thrown sticks. Every time the dog did something right, he petted her head, told her "good girl", and fed her a small treat as a reward. The dog's eyes sparkled and her tail didn't stop wagging. It was plain to see that both, man and dog, had fun. Then he taught her to lie down. "Down girl!" he ordered. The dog obeyed, wagging her tail and keeping her eyes on her master. "Good girl," he praised her again, knelt down beside her, petted her head, and stroked her fur, while he fed her another treat with his unoccupied hand.

Like often in dreams the scene changed and Motoko was in the Hinata's kitchen. In front of her Kitsune sat on the floor. Motoko petted her head and told her "good girl". Kitsune's eyes sparkled, while her fox ears trembled and her fox tail twitched.

Again the scene changed. Now Motoko knelt seiza-style on the floor. A hand petted her head and a male voice told her "good girl". Motoko felt immensely pleased. A warm ball of light expanded within her belly. She looked up, saw a leash dangling from the man's belt, and looked further up. Her eyes met the eyes of Urashima. "Good girl," he told her again and petted her head again. Motoko rubbed her head against his hand and purred.

Motoko woke up screaming and jolted upright on her futon. Her first conscious action was to grab her katana. The feeling of the familiar hilt against her palm calmed her. Next she calmed her breathing using the meditation technique she had learned when she started training.

_What was that?_ she thought. She shook her head. _What a weird dream! I hope I will forget it soon._

Motoko looked at her alarm clock. Nearly half past two in the morning.

_I have to sleep,_ she told herself sternly. _I have school in the morning._

She laid down on her bed and tried to find a comfortable position, unaware that she was still clutching her katana.

(scene break)

Lazy Friday afternoons at the Hinata Girls-Only Dormitory were only a fading memory now. The girls were doing their chores to keep their weekend chore-free. After too many frustrating tries Motoko had finally figured out, that Naru and Su did their chores best, when they were paired with another girl. Now Kitsune shared her chores with Su, Motoko shared hers with Naru, and Shinobu thankfully needed no supervision.

On this day even Mitsune found it hard not to call Motoko a slave driver. Not only had the sword-maiden picked up her habit of carrying her katana with her everywhere she went again, on this Friday she was nit-picking and criticizing even the smallest faults. The tasks had not only to be done perfectly, they had to be done in time, too.

Motoko was clearly upset about something. Mitsune hadn't the slightest idea what that might have been. While she wouldn't call herself an investigative journalist, yet, her curiosity had awakened. She would find out what had disturbed Motoko so much.

(scene break)

When Haruka dropped in unannounced for dinner, the girls had every reason to be thankful for Motoko's unexplained strictness. The dormitory gleamed and Haruka had no reason to scold them for tardiness.

So they were slightly disappointed when Haruka told them, she wasn't there for an inspection. She had to tell them something after dinner. The meal was quiet. With the exception of Su the girls didn't enjoy Shinobu's cooking as much as usual. They worried more about what Haruka had to tell them.

After the meal Haruka complimented Shinobu on her cooking. She looked around.

"Don't look so scared," she told them, "I don't plan to raise the rent or add to your chores." She allowed herself a small smile. "In fact, I'm amazed how well you've cleaned this place. My compliment, ladies."

The girls relaxed slightly. Some smiled.

"You know that the stairs and the sun deck have to be repaired." Haruka said. "Keitaro and two of his carpenter friends will start the repairs early in the morning tomorrow. That means there will be three male workers here for most of the day."

Haruka took the time to make eye-contact with each of the girls. "I expect all of you on your best behavior. I don't want any confrontations or unlucky accidents to happen. That goes especially for you, Naru. It might be a good idea not to use the hot springs tomorrow, so there will be no reason to accuse one of the men of peeking. Let me be perfectly clear: I don't want any problems."

She grinned. "You don't want any problems, too. I know my nephew. He will leave at once, when given the slightest reason to do so. Then you can either do the repairs yourselves or hire other professionals, who will not give you a family discount. And forget about having the repairs done on short notice."

"We understand perfectly, Haruka-sama," Motoko said. "There will be no problems. Thank you for informing us."

"You're welcome." Haruka answered with a smile. "Have a nice evening ladies." She winked. "Use the evening for a relaxing bath in the hot springs."

(scene break)

Mitsune had wanted to talk with Motoko while in the hot springs. Su and Shinobu had already left after a long soak. The sword-maiden had to appear yet. Now only Naru and Mitsune were reclining in the hot water. Naru was unusually quiet.

"What's on your mind, Naru?" Mitsune asked.

"There will be men here tomorrow. I was the only one, Haruka called by name, when she gave her warning. She's picking on me."

"There will be men here to do repairs, which need to be done." Mitsune said. "You know, where they will be, so it should be easy to avoid them. Haruka warned you, because she knows your temper."

"I can control my temper!" Naru protested.

Mitsune raised an eyebrow. "Even if that were true, most of the times, when it's about men, you don't seem to want to."

"All man are perverts. I'm just cautious."

"I remember that time when you punched the man on the tram for stumbling into you."

"He was trying to feel me up! He deserved it."

"He was what? Sixty or older? I was with you, remember? Some young punks pushed into the crowded tram and one of them shouldered the frail, old man out of the way. He only touched your shoulder to catch his balance. Was that reason enough to nearly break his jaw?"

"He shouldn't have touched me," Naru continued her protest.

"Face it, Naru, you overreacted. You punched him on reflex without considering the situation. Perhaps you feared some pervert would try to feel you up."

"They've tried."

"Then they deserve to be punished. But that old man didn't deserve it. You made a mistake. Haruka is afraid you will make a mistake again. That's why she's so hard on you."

Naru said nothing. It was obvious she was thinking about Mitsune's words.

Mitsune leaned back. She had to leave the springs soon. Still no sign of Motoko.

"Naru, do you know where Motoko is?" she asked.

"She's training on the meadow behind the house."

"It's late and it's getting dark. Why is she still training?"

"I don't know," Naru said and shrugged. "I wonder where she finds the energy after the cleaning frenzy she forced us through today?"

"Motoko often trains longer, when something's troubling her."

"Then she must be really troubled. She never trained that long before." Naru raised her arm out of the water. "I'm shriveling. It's time to get out of the water."

"I'll stay a little bit longer." Mitsune nodded towards the tray with her sake bottle and cup.

Naru stood up and wrapped a towel around her. "Don't stay too long. Good night, Kitsune."

"Good night, Naru."

Mitsune filled her cup and held it in her hand, while the other girl left.

She had emptied her cup and waited for ten minutes, when Motoko appeared. Though the raven-haired girl was covered in sweat, she still hadn't regained her usual stoic posture. The girl looked troubled.

Motoko sat down on a low stool to wash. She methodically soaped and rinsed her body three times then she washed her hair two times. To Mitsune's surprise she started to towel off after that.

"Hey, Motoko" Mitsune called out. "Join me for a moment, please."

Motoko startled, realizing that she was not alone. Her eyes found Mitsune in the hot springs waving a hand at her. She waved back and sighed softly. She took a fresh towel and walked into the hot water. She sat down beside Mitsune.

"Kitsune," she said in greeting, "I didn't notice you. I thought I was alone."

"I noticed," Kitsune said with a wink. "What's troubling you?"

Motoko's eyes widened. The old Kitsune had been a lazy drunk, looking for fun and prone to stirring up trouble to relief her boredom. Though she had changed in the last months, Motoko hadn't noticed how perceptive she had become. She tried to buy time.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"You've been upset about something the whole day. You've thrown yourself into training, cleaning, and training again to distract you, but it doesn't seem to be working. What happened?"

Motoko considered her options. Kitsune would see right through her lies, if she tried that, and she didn't even want to lie. Telling her she didn't want to talk about it, would only kindle Kitsune's curiosity. Perhaps talking might be helpful. She hadn't to tell her the whole truth though.

"I had a bad dream tonight." Motoko confessed.

"A nightmare?"

"Not really a nightmare,"

"But not a good dream?"

"It wasn't bad." Motoko blushed. "Urashima was in it."

Mitsune smiled. "Way to go, girl."

"Not **that** kind of dream, Kitsune! It was very strange and I woke up frightened and confused. That dream scared me."

"What happened in that dream?"

"I don't want to think about it. I tried all day to forget it."

"Don't think about a pink elephant."

"Huh?"

"Did you just picture a pink elephant in your mind?"

"For a moment, yes."

"Same thing with your dream. The harder you try to forget it, the more you think about it. Talking might help."

"And satisfy your curiosity?"

"That, too. Mostly it might help you."

Motoko thought for a while.

"I don't want to go into details. In my dream Urashima paid me a compliment and I was so pleased that I purred. I woke up screaming in shock."

Motoko's face was beet-red.

"That must have been quite the compliment."

"It was," Motoko paused searching for the right word, "surreal. It scared me."

"It was a dream, Motoko. A girl likes it when a boy pays her a compliment. You're just not used to that. Think for a moment. Could such a situation happen in real life?"

Motoko frowned thinking hard. Certainly Urashima would never treat her like a dog. Though there was a forbidden thrill when she thought about him putting a leash on her and submitting her body to his will.

"Never!" she answered belated and louder than necessary.

Mitsune smiled. Now she understood what was going on.

"It will never happen in real life, so you are safe. Tell me, have you ever fantasized before?" Seeing Motoko's clueless look she continued. "You know, dreamed about being together with a boy and enjoying it?"

"No?" was Motoko's unsure answer.

"Isn't puberty fun? Such fantasies or dreams can be very enjoyable, because they are safe. As long as you don't try to enact them in real life."

Mitsune suppressed a snicker. While that could be fun too, Motoko needed to feel safe, not to get further aroused by her own fantasy.

"You know," Mitsune said, "you could write it down. Write down what's bothering you and get it out of your head. It works for me."

"I'm not a writer like you."

"Give it a try. You can burn your notes, if it doesn't help. Sometimes the burning helps."

Motoko relaxed. "I might do that."

The girls stayed for a while in companionable silence then they left the hot springs together.

(scene break)

The sun had only risen above the horizon a short while ago, when a large pick-up truck stopped in front of the Hinata stairs. Three man climbed out and looked up the stairs.

"You weren't kidding, Keitaro, when you told us about those stairs." a young man in an overall said. He was a head taller than Keitaro and had a deep voice.

"I did warn you, Ryuto," Keitaro said. "The stairs are only the first of the challenges today."

An older man, slightly paunchy and in an overall too, joined the two young men.

"Let's get started, boys. How are we getting our stuff up there?"

"We have to carry it," Keitaro said, "there's no other way. I thought each of us carries stuff up a third of the way. We make two stops, where we can put stuff down for the next carrier to pick up. I suggest you, Otomo-san, will do the first third, Ryuto the second, and I will carry things up to the Hinata's front door. Hopefully we'll be done with that in about two hours."

The master carpenter nodded. "Good plan. Let's get started. Grab some tools and materials to carry up. Move, boys!"

The boys moved.

(scene break)

"That was a grueling workout." Ryuto grinned.

He alone wasn't out of breath, while the two other men were panting.

"At least we have everything up here now," Keitaro gasped and wiped sweat from his forehead. "I never liked these stairs."

He looked at his watch. "It's after nine. The girls should be awake by now. Remember what I told you, they really don't like men. Be on your best behavior and don't take insult."

"How often are you gonna warn us of again?" Otomo asked. "They can't be that bad."

Keitaro shrugged. "You'll see."

He walked to the door and knocked.

Only moments later the door opened and Motoko Aoyama stepped out, the sheathed katana in her belt.

"Good morning, Aoyama-san. These are my friends, Otomo Masaki and his son Ryuto. They are carpenters and here to fix the deck and the stairs."

Motoko looked at the three men in overalls. Otomo was an old man to her. His son was a head taller than Urashima and met her eyes with polite curiosity. She returned her attention to Urashima.

"Good morning, Urashima-san. Haruka-sama told us to expect you. Please follow me."

She turned without waiting for an answer. The men grabbed supplies and walked after her.

On the way Otomo inspected the broken stairs and announced they'd repair the deck first. After looking over the deck and conferring with Keitaro about the repairs he had planned, the master carpenter announced:

"Let's get our stuff up here."

"Great. More carrying." Ryuto grumbled and turned to start.

"The girls know you are here," Motoko said, "they should stay out of your way. Should you need anything, please call for me."

"Thank you, Aoyama-san. We'll carry our tools and materials up now."

(scene break)

Loud hammering ripped Naru from her sleep. She went furious in a heartbeat. Then she remembered the carpenters. _How dare they to make so much noise before my alarm clock goes off?_ Naru thought and looked at her alarm clock. 10:30. She blinked. The time stayed the same. It was supposed to go off at seven, why hadn't it? To her chagrin Naru saw that she hadn't set the alarm. She had been so exhausted after all the chores yesterday and she had been asleep when her head had touched the pillow.

Another burst of hammering shook her. She grabbed a sundress and put it on. She was going to give those ruffians a piece of her mind. Without further contemplation she left her room and rushed up to the deck.

She burst onto the deck and took in the scene. Most of the damaged boards had been removed by now and the first new ones had been put in place and were getting nailed down. She saw Keitaro and an older man hammering another board in place, while another tall man was removing one of the old boards. A slight wind caressed her face.

The next moment Keitaro was in front of her, his fingertips pressing her dress against her thighs. Naru gasped. He had moved so fast, she'd barely seen it. Now he was touching her. _How dare he? _She pulled her fist back to punish him.

"I wouldn't do that," he growled. _Growled!_ "I don't think you came up here to give us a show!"

Naru blinked without understanding. "What?"

A gust of wind blew her dress up against Keitaro's fingertips.

"It's windy," he explained the obvious, "if I hadn't protected you, you would have unwillingly flashed your panties."

Naru blushed, finally understanding.

"Now, please put your hands down on your thighs, so I can remove mine."

Naru pushed her hands down and he removed his, before she could swipe them away. At once Keitaro took a step back. Another gust of wind blew up her dress against her hands.

"I apologize for touching you, Narusegawa-san." Keitaro told her, back to his normal voice. "I only did it to protect your modesty."

(scene break)

Motoko had left the stairs to the deck unguarded for only a few moments to take care of personal business. When she heard bare feet on those stairs she followed after them, an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

Upon entering the deck she saw Urashima standing in front of Naru, his hands touching her thighs. Her hand went to her katana's hilt. She had to defend her friend!

A large figure stepped into her line of sight. She looked up in the eyes of Ryuto Masaki.

"Now, what are you planning to do?" he asked in a gentle voice.

"Get out of my way! I have to protect my friend!"

"From Keitaro?" Unbelief was plain in the young man's voice. He shifted. "Then I have to protect my friend, too."

Motoko shifted, too. Something about his stance made her uncomfortable. Then it clicked. He had assumed a stance, a martial artist's stance!

Keitaro stepped up on Ryuto's right side.

"What are you two doing?" he asked, eyes on Motoko.

A moment later Naru appeared on Ryuto's left side, holding down her dress against another gust of wind.

"Yes, what are you doing, Motoko?" she asked.

Motoko took her hand of her katana's hilt. "I saw Urashima touching you. I wanted to defend you. He interfered."

"Oh." Naru blushed. "I'm sorry, but Urashima did only touch me to stop my dress from getting lifted by gusts of wind. He rightly assumed that would have embarrassed me. He apologized right after."

Motoko fought a blush of her own. She bowed. "I apologize, too. I overreacted. I'm very sorry. Please forgive me." She kept her head lowered.

"Hey, no harm done," Ryuto replied. "You're forgiven."

"Stop flirting and get back to work, boys!" Otomo called out. "Those boards will not repair themselves."

Now all four teenagers sported a blush. A few whispered apologies and good-byes later the girls retreated from the deck.

Motoko stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"I will stand guard here. No other girl should go up there."

"That's a good idea," Naru agreed, "undisturbed they might finish their infernal hammering sooner."

"It was a really bad idea to rush to the deck, Naru."

"Yes, I can see that now. I was so furious, because the hammering ripped me from sleep."

"We're lucky nothing bad happened."

"True. What were you thinking? You can't attack any unarmed males with your sword. Haruka will throw you out without a second thought."

"I didn't attack." Motoko sounded defensive.

"You were going to."

"The tall guy has some martial arts training. That threw me off long enough."

"He was ready to take you on? Impressive." Naru smiled.

"I don't want to be impressed. I want those males gone as soon as possible."

"As do I. I will clean up and then hit the books."

(scene break)

Naru closed her room's door behind her. She rubbed her thighs absently. She could still feel Urashima's burning touch there. Remembering the event she blushed again. It was a good thing, Urashima had behaved like a gentleman. Especially because she hadn't bothered to put on panties before rushing to the deck.

(scene break)

Keitaro used a short break to look at his fingertips again. They still tingled from touching Narusegawa's thighs. How could such a simple touch shake him so deeply?

"Keitaro, why didn't you tell us the girls here are model beautiful?" Ryuto asked and gave his friend's shoulder a friendly nudge.

"High praise coming from you," Keitaro teased back, "but they're way too young for you. I mostly noticed their attitude. But you're right, they are nice to look at."

"Do you have a favorite?"

"No," Keitaro rubbed his fingertips one more time. "I want this done and out of here as soon as possible."

"Okay, work first, play later."

"I don't play, mister playboy."

Ryuto chuckled. "Then let's work. You can flirt later."

(scene break)

The men worked until afternoon on the deck, before Otomo declared the job done. They took a break to consume the bentos Keitaro's mother had prepared and started repairing the stairs after that. Otomo salvaged the few useable materials. He did most of the work, while Ryuto and Keitaro helped where they could in that enclosed space. Otomo was in a good mood and both young men treasured the opportunity to learn from a master.

They had just finished cleaning up after them and packing their tools, when Motoko walked up to them.

"Urashima-san, do you have a moment, please?" she asked.

"Of course, Aoyama-san. The repairs are done." He turned to the carpenters. "Go down to the tea shop. Aunt Haruka told me, she expects us to visit her. I'll meet you there soon."

The two men grabbed their tool boxes and turned to go.

"We leave the last materials for you to carry down, Keitaro." Ryuto said. "Don't stay too long. Good-bye, Aoyama-san."

Motoko bid a polite good-bye and Otomo uttered a few words of farewell. Then she turned her attention to Keitaro.

"Follow me to the deck, please."

They were on the deck a minute later. Keitaro started to point out the repairs, but stopped, when Motoko tossed something at him. He caught it in surprise and found himself holding a bokken, a wooden training sword. Motoko held another one and she wasn't carrying her katana.

"What's this?" Keitaro asked.

"It's a bokken. Do you know how to use one?"

Keitaro shrugged. "I had some training years ago, but I never liked it."

"It's enough. I think a spar will help me get your measure."

"You could ask."

"Where's the fun in that? Protect yourself!"

Motoko held her bokken out in the basic double-handed grip.

Keitaro turned his bokken around in his right hand, so the blade was facing upwards along his arm.

"An inverted grip? You're not a beginner."

"This is a bad idea, Aoyama."

"First touch wins."

Motoko uttered the words and charged. Keitaro blocked her over-head slash with a raised arm. He stepped forward, his left hand shot out and his fingertips graced her stomach. Motoko jumped back.

"I touched you. I win."

"I meant first touch with a blade!"

She charged again. Keitaro turned into her slash to his left side and blocked, then continued his turn and jabbed at her from behind. Motoko barely dodged and Keitaro followed up with a frontal attack. She blocked and their blades crossed. Keitaro put more force behind his blade and Motoko had to hold on with both hands to keep him from advancing. Keitaro slanted his arm abruptly, Motoko lost her balance and had to take a step forward. Her blade slid off Keitaro's. His arm moved and his blade connected with her right temple gently.

"Touch. You're dead. I win again."

Motoko stepped back, breathing heavily.

"You said you didn't like it." she protested.

"I didn't like it. I didn't say I was bad at it."

Motoko surprised him again. She fainted.

Keitaro barely managed to catch her. He touched her forehead. Her skin was so hot, that he knew at once she had a fever. The girl should be in bed, not sparring in the cool evening air. He grumbled and carried her down the stairs.

"Help!" he called out on the second floor. He called out again.

Less than a minute later he was facing all the Hinata girls. The foreigner looked curious, the blue-haired chef scared, the fox-girl intrigued, and Narusegawa looked furious.

"What have you done to Motoko?" she demanded.

"I have done nothing to her. She fainted and I caught her. She has a fever. Where's her room?"

"Why do you want to know?" Narusegawa demanded again.

"I plan to carry her to her bed, because none of you looks strong enough to do that. Then I will leave her room and entrust her to your loving care. Or you could call a doctor."

"Her room's over there," the fox-like girl said and pointed. "We can discuss details later, Naru. Now caring for Motoko is our first priority."

She moved in front of Motoko's door, opened it, and stepped away.

"Put her on the futon, please."

Keitaro did as she asked.

The girl smiled at him. "Thanks for your help. Close the door from the other side. I'm going to make her comfortable and that's not for you to see."

"Certainly."

Keitaro nearly stumbled in his haste to leave the room. He closed the door behind him. Then he leaned against the wall outside and took a deep breath.

Naru advanced on him with murder in her eyes.

"Tell us exactly what happened!" she demanded.

She emphasized her demand by putting her palm on his chest and pressing him against the wall. Keitaro grabbed her wrist to reduce the pressure. They both gasped. Naru snatched her hand away and retreated to the other wall of the corridor, putting as much distance between them as possible.

Keitaro's thought went a mile a minute. While he had felt nothing when he had carried Motoko around bridal-style, just the touch of Naru's palm against his chest had made his skin tingle. Holding her wrist had been their first skin-to-skin contact. The tingles happened there, but intensified, feeling like sparks, like a pleasant electrical pulse. Touching Naru did something to him. By the way she rubbed her wrist, it did something to her, too.

The door to Motoko's room opened and Mitsune looked out. She started to say something, stopped and took in the scene before her.

"What have you two been doing?" she asked, smirked, and added: "He hasn't tried to kiss you, Naru?"

"No!" both protested at the same time and blushed so heavily, it was cute.

Mitsune decided to ease the pressure on the two non-lovebirds.

"I've made Motoko comfortable. She has a fever and a slight cold, I think. Shinobu, could you please make some broth to feed her later? Su, please get two large bottles of water for Motoko. She should have enough to drink with her, when she wakes up later. I want to talk with Motoko before I call a doctor, so I will stay with her. Naru, could you stay with Motoko later?"

All the girls agreed and Shinobu and Su left for their tasks.

"What happened with Motoko?" Mitsune asked Keitaro then.

"We were done with the repairs. My friends left and Aoyama asked me to join her on the deck. I thought, she wanted to take a look at the repairs, but she tossed me a bokken and forced me into a spar. We sparred shortly, then she fainted."

"You sparred? I don't believe you. Where are the bruises?" Naru shouted.

"Keep it down!" Mitsune hissed. "Motoko's still asleep."

"I don't care what you believe," Keitaro said. "I didn't know she was ill or I would have declined." He looked at his watch. "I should be gone, before they start to search for me. Or do you need my help with anything?"

"We'll be fine. Thanks for your help." Mitsune said.

Naru looked as if she had a lot more to say, but she shook her head and continued to rub her wrist.

"Then I'll pick up the rest of our stuff and leave. Good-bye ladies."

(scene break)

Dying of embarrassment wasn't a possible way out, otherwise Motoko would have taken it happily. Waking up on her futon in the company of all the other girls hadn't been so bad, but then the memories had hit. She still couldn't believe how forward she had acted. It stung that she had lost so easily to Urashima. Finding out that she had a cold and had been of her game didn't really help. She had overextended herself yesterday and now she was paying the price. The girls fussing over her had been nice, until Su carried in her laptop and showed all of them the video-footage of what had happened. The banana-craving genius had hidden cameras everywhere and no idea of respecting personal space.

From the looks on the other girls' faces they were impressed by the spar and at least Shinobu had a dreamy expression on her face, when they watched Urashima carrying her bridal-style to her room. Motoko was kind of glad she'd been unconscious during that, even though she wondered a little what it might have felt like to be carried like that. The confrontation between Urashima and Naru was confusing, especially Naru's reaction to his touch. Most of all Motoko was confused if she should apologize to Urashima or demand a rematch. Probably both, in case she ever found the courage to talk with him again.

(scene break)

Keitaro pulled out his cell phone and used the speed dial.

"Hi sis, how's your school trip?"

He listened with a slight smile.

"I'm good. I've been working with the Masakis today. Listen, I think, it's time to take up my sword-training again."

He held the cell phone away at arm's length, so the happy squeal didn't destroy his eardrums.

"Calm down, Kanako. Once a week should be enough, and don't even think about live blades."

He listened patiently to her excited chatter.

"I have to fit it in my schedule. My studies have to come first. Yes, I'm looking forward to your return. Enjoy your trip and don't do something I wouldn't do."

He listened again and grinned.

"I mean it, sis. Be good or I wont find the time for sword practice."

Her protests were quite loud.

"Yes, I'm mean and you know it. Love you, too. Bye."

(chapter end)


End file.
